Partnership Overview

For a number of years Joyce Lubari has been concerned with the number of young people in their community who leave school and who cannot get employment. Secondary schooling in Uganda is free, well that's the theory anyway. It's still quite expensive. However, many young people manage somehow to complete secondary school, but what then? Nothing is free after that. 

Every year, thousands of young people pour into the work force and there are few jobs available or being created in the formal sector. Most of these young people do not have the resources or experience to start their own businesses or the resources to do further training. 

Many Christian young people become very disillusioned during this time. Many girls will consider early marriage as they have no other options. Many boys go onto the streets to fight for something each day and become part of the huge unskilled work force. 

Joyce had a vision to change this and started a vocational scholarship programme for deserving young people. They are trained in a number of areas; hairdressing, auto mechanics, electronic and computer repair, tailoring, nursery teaching, secretarial studies and practical trades like welding, brick laying and carpentry. 

Thomas and Joyce are originally from South Sudan and have also included some people from there in this programme as well. There are two major reasons for this;
1) There are few training opportunities and institutions in South Sudan and it is still very unstable, and
2) Unless people are trained they will have little chance of developing the country. 

History of Partnership
BHW has been partnering with Thomas and Joyce Lubari since 2007. In that time they have become involved in micro-loan programmes in Uganda and Southern Sudan, church planting and Foundations for Farming programmes. 

As pastors of a local church in a very poor neighbourhood they have become more and more aware of the needs of the young people. Many of them have come to their notice because their parents have been trying to educate them through the loan programme with a great deal of difficulty. 

In 2012 Joyce raised her concern with BHW and mentioned that she would like to do something for these young people. BHW spent time talking it through and decided that an amount of funding would be allocated to commence the project. 

Beneficiaries
The main beneficiaries will be the young people who get a chance for training (approximately 17 each year). We expect that many of them will be significantly helped for the long term. Once they are trained they will have a much better chance of gaining employment and earning an income. 

Then their families and churches will become beneficiaries as well. 

There are 3 major selection criteria:
- Those who have achieved decent marks at school. This indicates they have some ability and some desire to succeed. 
- Those who have shown some faithfulness to the Lord. This project will start with Christian young people first of all. 
- Those who have a good chance at getting employment. In other words, they want to study something that has practical application. 

What We Like About The Partnership

It addresses a real need in the community, both in Jinja, Uganda and South Sudan. It has the ability to work with people who are still impressionable and there can be a lifetime of benefits.

It operates from a strong Christian base and there are relationships between those overseeing the programme and the students. 

The leaders are passionate about it. 

South Sudan is very unstable and this is a realistic solution to training. It is a strategic way to assist with a much lower risk than doing something in South Sudan. 

These young people would have little or no hope of doing something like this without some outside help.

Key People 

Leadership Profile

Thomas and Joyce Lubari have lived in Uganda for many years although originally they come from Sudan. Thomas has a background in agriculture and theology with a Masters in Development. He is currently pastoring the church they planted in Jinja as well as running a number of programmes around Uganda and South Sudan.

Joyce is trained in accounting and currently works in the administration department of a Bible School. She is the only one earning a salary. Joyce will be the manager of the vocational training programme. They have five children and live in Jinja. 

Vision And Annual Strategy
The vision is to give as many young people as possible the opportunity to be trained so they can become self-sustaining and gain good employment. They want these young people to escape the bondage of poverty and become able to thrive and raise stable families. 

The strategy is to get as many as possible into training that leads to employment. 

The South Sudanese students will be selected and brought to Jinja. Thomas and Joyce will oversee their training and circumstances. They will also be discipled and trained in Christian values. Once they have completed their training they will return to their communities.

Profiles of Some Beneficiaries

Agudo Jacinta                                
Course: Information Technology 
Jacinta had to drop out of school because her parents couldn't afford to pay the fees.  She would like to run a computer secretarial bureau in the future and this course will give her the skills required to do this. She is a commited choir member. 

Chemisto Sisco  
Course: Tailoring/garment cutting     
This course will give Sisco the skills she needs to design garments and do her own work. She has previously had to withdraw from this course as her parents are too poor to pay the fees. She is a committed choir member. 

Amuge Stella
Course: Cosmetology
Stella would like to run a personal hair salon. Her family are badly impoverished. 

Byaruhanga Simon    
Course: Motor Mechanics        
Simon grew up without parents and lived in the church. This course will give him the skills needed to repair motor vehicles and enable him to support himself and have a better life.

Sunday Keji
Course:  Hairdressing   
Keji's parents are separated and she grew up abandoned.  This course will give her a skill to enable her to earn a living and financially support herself.  

Kojo Jessica
Course: Hairdressing
Jessica's husband doesn't have a job so she needs to develop skills to provide for the family. 

Guma Christopher
Course: Cosmetology     
Christopher has previously trained as a pastor but now needs a skill to enable him to financially provide for his family.